


the queen doesn't die in this one

by WelcomeToTheBadlands



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Arranged Marriage, Assassination Attempt(s), Bad at summaries, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Dark Rey (Star Wars), Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Glove Kink, Murder, Rey Needs A Hug, Slow Burn, Soft Ben Solo, Trust Issues, Uncircumcised Penis, but like more like antagonists to lovers? idk how to describe it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:06:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23679610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WelcomeToTheBadlands/pseuds/WelcomeToTheBadlands
Summary: Queen Rey of Malaachor V is feared through the lands, but very good at military strategy and sought after by many because of her collection of monstrosities.King Ben Solo of Takodana is loved by many and has a kind heart, when a ball brings them together and they end up meeting, what happens?__The first time Rey saw him, he was standing across the ballroom, talking with one of her advisors. He didn't look very threatening but he was a King and he had land and he was easy to control. That was exactly what Rey needed.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 30
Kudos: 67





	1. Prologue -- Make No Mistake

It was at the crack of dawn that the birds sang their song. They gathered in ash and oak trees and woke the Kingdom of Malaachor V up. A coat of ruddy brown and black dust coated the remains of the Royal Rose Garden, glass and rubble crunched under Rey’s boots. Her guards stood on either side of her, swords drawn. “There might still be hostiles in the area, my lady.” One of them said.

“My queen,” The younger corrected, the two of them glared at each other for a minute before the younger man continued, “she is the surviving heir of the Palpatine house.”

“She’s a bloody thirteen-year-old girl, she wasn’t even the princess directly in line after the Queen. How the hell is she supposed to rule?” Before a conflict could arise, Rey stepped forward. She knew that she had to something before the two of them started killing each other.

“He’s right,” Rey said, “I am the only surviving member of the Palpatine house, and you will address me as your Queen. Make that mistake again and it will cost you your position,”

“You’re right, my Queen.” The knight sighed; Rey turned to the younger of the two.

“What is your name, ser?”

“Ser Dameron,” He said.

“I like you, Ser Dameron. You did well on the battlefield. Thank you, I’ll see to it that you’re given a good promotion.”

“Thank you, my Queen.” The walk back to the castle was a long one. The smell of burning flesh permeated the air, clung to her clothes, and made her want to gag. But as she walked past the corpses, both men of her country and the invaders, she knew that she had to hold herself up high and be strong. She could not be weak in front of these men or she would be doubted. So, she held her head high and walked. Her guards were on either side of her.

The inside of the palace was a shell of what it had once been, the streets had been bombed with sulfur shells and all of the stain glass windows had shattered and the statues had been knocked to the floor. Pictures of her grandfather had been burned and statues had been defaced. Some of the walls had been peeled back like a half-peeled potato skin. “Oh my gods,” She heard one of the knights whisper. “It was this bad?”

Rey set one foot on the first step and Ser Dameron was right there next to her, “My Queen, may I ask you where you’re going?”

“I need to see it,” Rey said.

“The bodies—”

“My family is up there, and I want to see them. I am your Queen; you are not the one that gets to boss me around. That is not how this works,” He pursed his lips and Rey watched as he turned towards the others before looking back at her. There was no hint of mocking in his voice when he spoke. It didn’t mean that Rey liked what came out of his mouth next.

“We need you to not break right now,” He said, “I know that it’s hard, I know that everything that has happened is awful, but if any of them see weakness coming from you right now, they will come running to tear you apart like a pack of starving wolves. So please, do not go up those stairs right now.”

Rey sighed, and then nodded. “Okay,” She said. “I won’t.”


	2. chapter one - no one calls you honey when you're sitting on a throne

Malaachor V had changed a lot since the war. The castles were built up to it’s former beauty rather quickly, and whilst there was a lot of construction going on, there was also a boom in trade and other jobs. There were always people bustling around the main town square, and more and more permanent houses started to go up. Things were changing, and people were thriving. It was no secret that the beginning of Rey’s reign had proved better for the people, but that didn’t stop the abundance of criticism and worry. It didn’t stop people talking about some of her policies, and how she wasn’t a very likeable person.

At first, the criticism was just about her age. She was still a child and she was ruling a whole country, surely, she couldn’t be knowledgeable enough to do such a thing. Surely, she was going to end up getting her people put further into poverty after this small bout of fortune that they were having.

It really started to come to a head when she started collecting monstrosities, it started with one dragon egg. She nurtured that thing like it was her child and didn’t look for a spouse to further their line, like so many of her advisors told her she needed to do. Then came the three basilisks, she acquired them when they were children, and they were going to be sold for slaughter to a warlord. The warlord wasn’t very happy to lose them, but it was better to lose them then to lose his life to dragon fire. As her collection grew, she became more feared. The number of invaders and small battles that had to be quelled dwindled quickly, more walls were being built up and Malaachor V started taking in more people.

But the kingdom was not without problems. The influx of people meant that farmers needed to produce more crop to feed more people, and the more monstrosities that Rey had meant more food that needed to be acquired for her. “This would not have been a problem if you hadn’t gotten rid of the masters and freed their workers,”

“You mean their slaves,” Rey corrected, “what good is food and wealth if there are people that have to be kept like animals in order to achieve it?”

“Many people have slaves,” The elder told her.

“And many people are bad,” Rey told him, “as are the ones that choose to keep people like animals.” She rolled her eyes, sitting back in her throne as she looked down upon him. “And if you continue to question my judgement on that decree, I will have you gilded.”

“Yes, My Queen.” He bowed and took his place, shutting up just like Rey had told him to.

“My Queen,” Poe Dameron took a step forward, “If I may?”

“You may,” Rey said, “what do you have to suggest about this predicament?”

“I think that perhaps, whilst I know that you do not want to do this, it is time for you to get married.” Rey raised an eyebrow, “Now here me out. I know that it is not something that you want, and I know that a lot of men would come in here and try to rule, but I think that if you went for the king of a smaller country, one known mostly for their farming and their plentiful crop, you would be able to control him quite nicely and it would benefit both you and your ‘suitor’.” Rey sighed, knowing that he was right. A merger of two countries was one of the only ways to get more food permanently, and not just from one of their allies.

“And how, do tell, would I find such a King?”

“There are quite a few,” Poe told her, “King Ben Solo of Takodana is one of them, but there are others. We could throw a ball, invite the kings and dukes that would best suit the event.”

“Okay,” Rey said, “but we need to conserve the food at the event, make sure that there is enough but that we don’t deprive people of food. And give the leftovers of whatever we have to the people. I shall make a list of requirements in the type of ruler that I seek, and then since you suggested it you will be the one to write the letters and send them out.”

“Yes, My Queen.” Poe said. “I would be happy to.”

“Good,” Rey said, “I hope that this idea of yours works,” Poe swallowed and nodded.

“It will,” He told her, “trust me.”

__

Takodana was a little country, the hillsides dappled with trees that reflected the sunlight. There were a lot of trees, a lot of farms, and there was a lot of peace. Ben Solo had had a lucky run of being king. He was well-liked by his people for his kind demeanor and his patience, something that next to no other king had.

There was always a problem though. Takodana’s borders were weak, and so was their army. That meant crime was rampant in the country as well, and while he did his best to stop it from happening. It didn’t mean that it went away. The King did not believe in the death penalty in most cases. Ben was raised on the belief that almost everyone could be reformed. He saved the death penalty for rapists, murderers, and the warlords that thought they could come into lower villages and terrorize his people and get away with it.

The main palace did not look like much to some. It was a little bigger than most castles that dukes and duchesses inhabited, sunlight poured through the windows and stained-glass windows made the light dance and made the inside feel alive. Despite the fact that they sometimes faced turmoil, the kingdom of Takodana was loved. Life could be better though, it was no secret to anybody that the King stressed about the well-being of his people and their safety.

It took a toll on him, seeing people in pain. But there seemed to be no certain way for him to be able to protect his people in a way that was permanent. The opportunity presented itself at the oddest of times, it was quiet, peaceful even, It had been that way for a while, and just when Ben had started to relax in courts and the complaints had subsided, a messenger that had come all the way from Malaachor V came in. “You’re going to want to listen,” Hux told him.

Hux was Ben’s most trusted advisor, and one of the only advisors that had served in his teenage years all the way into adulthood. When he said something, Ben always listened. So he did, he sat, waiting for the messenger to come up to him. He was trembling almost, and Ben wasn’t sure why. He had never considered himself overly intimidating. “Sire, I am from the Land of Malaachor V with a message from the Queen herself.” Ben Solo had heard a lot of Malaachor V in his time, how it was a behemoth of a country. Many people desired the country’s profit and wealth and were jealous of it, but they weren’t always this way. The Queen was the last surviving member of her house, and from many accounts, she was also mad. Many people said that the only time she sent messages to other kingdoms was when she was going to declare war.

However, that is not what happened. “The Queen is looking for a husband, and she has invited powerful men from all over the nations to a festival that will be held in three months’ time to get to meet everyone and decide what her choice will be. When that happens, she would like you to be there.” With a trembling, bony hand, he took out a letter stamped with the blood red seal of Malaachor V.

“Thank you for your service,” Ben nodded as Hux took the letter from the man. “I will write a response back shortly, but while you are waiting you are welcome to stay in a guest room for the night and then make your way back in the morning. We have plenty of food too.”

“Thank you for your kindness, sire. I wouldn’t want to imp-pose though.”

“Nonsense,” Ben told him. “We would be happy to house you, even for a day. The journey from Malaachor to Takodana is long and hard, you should rest.”

“Y-yes sire,”

“Mitaka,” Hux called, one of Ben’s other advisors stepped forward. “Show this man some hospitality please.”

“Right,” The other man said, and took the messenger away. For a minute, Ben and Hux sat there in silence.

“I know that you want to say something,” Ben said, “so go ahead and say it.”

“I just want to warn you of the Queen of Malaachor,” Hux said plainly, “from what I’ve heard about her she has a penchant for burning people alive.”

“Death by fire is common in many countries, Hux.”

“Not death by dragon-fire,”

“Dragons? I thought those were extinct,”

“They were, until she found them again. Two dragon eggs that she collected became three, and then four, and then five. Her collection of monstrosities doesn’t stop there. But the dragons are most worrisome, it’s said that their fire doesn’t stop burning.” Ben knew that he should be alarmed, there was something in him that told him that he shouldn’t go, but the other part told him that if that was true, this woman had one of the biggest armies in the land, plus dragons.

“I want a response written that I will attend,” He doubted that much would come of it, but if anything, he could make some allies with other countries while he was there.

“Ben, are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” He said, “I will go, and you will be coming with me.”

Hux looked like he was about to be sick, but he nodded, “Yes, my King.” His expression was curt, and he stalked away with ease. Ben could tell that his advisor was annoyed at him, but he was sure that this was the right choice. It had to be.

A merger would benefit Takodana greatly in the security department, so if this worked out in his favor, many more people would benefit. Ben would go to Malaachor V, and maybe if he was lucky, he would marry the Queen.


	3. chapter two - fake pleasantry

“Let it be known,” Rey sighed, “I hate fake pleasantries.” She watched as brightly colored streamers and banners were being put into place.

“They’re not false unless you make them false,” Poe retorted. Rey gave him a look, the withering kind that only Poe could receive and survive.

“I suppose you expect me to galivant around in an extra fluffy dress and giggle like a schoolgirl too, am I right?”

“It couldn’t hurt,”

Rey snorted and Poe flashed an annoyingly handsome grin. “You can act as unpleasant and grim as you want to when the ball arrives, just try not to have anyone burned alive or fed to your snakes.”

“You’re trying my patience,” Rey said. Her skin was already crawling at the thought of having to dance with people. She hated the thought of someone else touching her that it was putting her in a worse mood than she was already in. “Run over the list of people that are coming again,” Rey was glad to have something to distract herself, she could easily tune out her surroundings as Poe told her everyone that was attending, their tempers and personalities, not that she cared much about that.

She just needed a man that wouldn’t try to control her, someone that would let run the Kingdom that she had been running for so long and give them plentiful crop in return. “Also, King Ben Solo has most recently announced that he will be coming too.”

“Why do you keep mentioning Ben Solo to me, Poe?” He gave her a sheepish look and she raised an eyebrow. “Poe. Is there something that you’re not telling me?”

“My mother, Shara Bey was friends with Queen Leia Organa when she still reigned over Takodana while it was still Alderaan. I grew up alongside Ben Solo and received the same tutelage as him,”

“So you can attest to this man’s character when he was a child?”

“I was there for the first year of his reign, and his coronation. He is a good man, Rey. And Takodana is a bountiful place with a lot of crop and livestock and it could help us greatly, that’s why I am hoping that you will take special notice of him.” Rey didn’t say anything, just sighed and kept walking.

“Oversee the preparations, I’m going to go see to my children.”

_Her children._ That’s what she had always called her dragons, the wyverns, and basilisks that she had started to nurse back to health and collect. All of them were special to her. Feeding her children was a very long and involved task, but it was one that Rey did alone. She didn’t trust anyone else to take care of them, so she did all of the dirty work herself. She kept a journal that could only be opened with one key with her and went up to the highest part of the castle, the wing that she was only allowed in. There was a sort of aviary, but it was bigger. This was the part of the castle that housed the dragon children and the wyverns, they were the smaller creatures that she owned.

She had had people come up and make it possible for trees to go and planted bushes for them to be able to play in too. She would spend a few hours playing with them and giving them attention before she would take some dried meat, cut it into smaller pieces for the smaller of the creatures that needed feeding, and the bigger, juicier slabs of meat for the ones that could handle the bigger things, and then she would go down into the deepest, darkest part of the castle where the basilisks and snakes that hated light stayed.

She had found out that these snakes had liked to play with their food more, so she released a few smaller livestock into the room for them to hunt and eat. She would talk to them too, just because she felt like they could use a little reassurance every once and a while.

She truly loved every single creature that was in her possession more than anything in the world. She spent a good part of her day doing that before going back to check on the preparations at hand. “How is everything going?” Most of her constituents were glad to report that everything would-be right-on time for when the first people arrived. She went to Poe last, “I need a written welcome speech,” She told him.

“Done,” He told her.

“Something that will make me appear likable,”

“I like you,”

“Yes, well you’re required to. It’s part of your job.”

“Ugh, you’re impossible.” He said. “You should go and rest now, it’s getting late.”

“I will,” She said, “thank you for working so hard on this. Even if I am not very eager to take a husband, I do recognize the effort that goes into making me look appealing,”

“I think that you doubt yourself too much my Queen, yes you may be _abrasive_ in some respects, but you are definitely appealing to some. I’ll work on the speech now, don’t worry about anything else.”

“I don’t know where I would be without you, thank you. Truly.” Rey turned to head to her chambers and forget everything else, the court had been postponed and there was no need for her to be present until dinner, which she was going to take in chambers that night so that people could get the dining hall ready.

It took a week before people started to arrive in Malaachor V. Rey was absolutely dreading this festival.

__

“They say that she’s eaten a heart before,” Hux began, “a whole human heart. Are you sure that you want to go to this festival?”

“You just don’t want to go with me,” Ben smirked, they had been journeying for quite a while to get to the Kingdom of Malaachor V, it was not an easy trip. They had been going for days and days and days and Ben could tell that some of his men were tired, still they pressed on. He needed to at least try. Hux was reluctant the whole way there, but he stuck by his side because he said that despite the fact that he thought Ben was making a mistake, he was loyal to his king. “Thank you, Hux. Your loyalty is much appreciated.”

And it was true, it was much appreciated.

Malaachor V was an interesting land, and that was the most that Ben Solo could really say about it. At least, at first. He could tell why it had an imposing nature to it, the dark ash trees twisted into gnarled and knotted things with branches that blocked out the light from the sky. The air was thick with the smell of deep, rich soil and a thin layer of ash. Hux glanced out of the carriage and groaned, “More of this atrocious wood.” He said, “I want to be rid of it already.”

“I’m sure everyone wants to be rid of it,” Ben reassured Hux, “once we do we will get to the Hallowed Grounds, and then the outskirts of the kingdom and we can see what’s really going on.”

“I just hope that we don’t encounter anything along the way,”

“And what, pray tell, would we encounter?”

“Oh, I don’t know. A dragon?” Ben rolled his eyes. He kept hearing these rumors about a dragon, but that was just it. They were rumors. He wasn’t going to be scared of it when they hadn’t been seen for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Finally, the reached the Hallowed Grounds, and Ben could see some of his men relax a little more as they started to walk in a clearer place, where they could see their surroundings. Ben finally opened his window to his carriage and got some more fresh air. He was also happy because he could see that it eased Hux’s tensions. The Hallowed Grounds were quite a beautiful place, with dark red flowers that looked like rubies sprouting out of the ground, their emerald stems glinting in the light as well.

He was so entranced by its beauty that he was taken by shock when a dark looming shadow flew swiftly overhead. Some of the men shouted and screamed, some others cowered. Ben looked up and saw a dragon flying overhead, it must’ve been bigger than four commanding battalion ships, with golden scales that gleamed in the sunlight, and it’s roar could be heard, even though it was already closer to the kingdom by now.

Ben found himself not struck by fear at the sight of such a big, magnificent creature, though. “Do you believe me now?” Hux asked.

“Yes,” Ben said, “partially.”

“Good, then we can go back.”

“You know very well that that’s not going to happen,” Ben told him, “we must press on.”

It took another day to get to the Kingdom, they passed through the outskirts and it seemed that a parade of people was out there, trying to get a look at his carriage. Ben smiled and waved at some of the people and saw the confusion on a few of their faces. “I don’t think that they’re used to their rulers acknowledging them kindly,” Hux told him. Ben sat back and rolled his eyes.

“You know, the second we get there, I can’t wait to be out of this carriage with you. You are in sore need of a nap, my friend.” Hux rolled his eyes, but that shut him up. And Ben was glad for that, because he did not want to make a poor introduction to the Queen.

The opulence of Malaachor V became very clear to Ben within seconds of starting to go through the market place and higher village, the red and black flags were imposing to say the least, but the higher villages looked rather cheery. The actual palace was much bigger than anything Ben had ever seen in Takodana, and he had always considered himself very very wealthy.

The actual palace was imposing to say the very least, it’s large ebony black and red structures towering so high that Ben couldn’t even see the top of it. This was going to be something. _You can do this._ He told himself. _You have to._ He steeled himself and glanced at Hux, “Are you ready?”


	4. chapter three - the first meeting

There was a lot going on through Ben’s head as he got to the palace and was greeted by a fairly friendly crowd as well as a large brigade of fairly serious guards. An advisor was the one to meet them, not the Queen herself. This might have been perceived as rude to some, but the advisor quickly explained that it was a security precaution as someone had levelled a threat against her a week before Ben had arrived, “Goodness, I hope that the Queen is okay.” Ben said. “That must be frightening."

“The Queen is quite fine,” The advisor explained to him, “She is a very strong-willed person, but it’s best not to have her in open space. She is inside though and will greet you there,”

“What kind of person levels a threat against someone who has dragons?” Hux muttered under his breath.

“Not a very smart one,” The advisor said, Ben chuckled a little bit. “Now please follow me.” He said, “I’m not sure if you remember Poe Dameron but he will also assist you in going to your chambers and the likes,”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Ben said, “it is much appreciated.” The advisor looked at him as if he had done something weird. Ben wasn’t sure why. Ben wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he got inside the palace, but even though it was so big, he didn’t expect it to be quite as—grandiose on the inside as it was on the outside. The ceiling was painted with a bunch of ornate scenes, depicting dragons, the liberation of Malaachor V and of Rey’s rise to power, the chandelier had red jewels that looked almost like drops of crystalized blood dangling in the air.

And there the Queen was, at the top of the steps. She was in a dress of dark grey and red, an ornate necklace adorning her neck. She was one of the most beautiful people that Ben had ever laid eyes upon, and one of the most terrifying. She stared down at Ben with this look in her eyes that Ben didn’t know how to read, as he got closer, Hux whispered, “Is it just me or does she scare the shit out of you?”

“Shut up,” Ben hissed. He wanted to make a good impression, and he wasn’t going to sacrifice that because of Hux’s nerves. He stopped when he was told to, and Rey came down to the next platform.

“You are in the presence of Rey Palpatine, Queen of Malaachor V, Mother of Dragons, Guardian of the Weak, Liberator of the Isles.” There he saw Poe. He hadn’t seen him in such a long time. “She welcomes you to Malaachor V and hopes that you have a good time,”

Ben knelt respectfully, so did Hux. “Your Majesty, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for this honor.” He said.

“It’s a pleasure to have you here,” She said, “thank you for gracing us with your presence.” It was clear that she did not really mean these words, he could see that this wasn’t what she wanted. She was doing this because she needed someone to marry, not because she wanted to. And while this situation wasn’t ideal, Ben could sympathize with the fact that she wasn’t thrilled to be here. “I hope that you find everything to your liking,” When she approached and met Ben on his level. Ben didn’t make a presumption to touch her, they just nodded at each other respectfully.

“I know that I will,” He said.

__

Poe was the one that showed them to their large quarters, embarrassingly, Ben thought that these guest chambers might even be larger than his own, with a balcony that had a fresh pot of red peonies in it. “I still don’t know how you could be so calm about this,” Hux said when they were alone. “Someone leveled a threat against the Queen, this is not a good time to be here.” He said.

“I appreciate your concern,” Ben said, “but I would say that this has been going pretty smoothly so far.” Hux sighed, obvious that he didn’t think the same thing.

“She didn’t even smile,”

“Neither have you,” Ben said, “the entire time that we’ve been here. So are you admitting that you’ve also been rude?” Hux briefly looked like a fish out of water, closing his mouth and then opening it. And then he realized that Ben was right. “Ah yes, that’s what I thought. Come on, Hux. Just because she’s a woman doesn’t mean that she has to be warm and welcoming,”

“How progressive of you,” Hux muttered.

“I’m right,”

“Yes, I know you are, I’m just not very happy about it.” He said.

“Well, you better get happy about it. We’re going to be going to have dinner and regale with a bunch of other royals and we have to make ourselves look good, make some allies. So you better be on your A game or I’m going to have to find a new advisor, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

__

So far the King of Takodana, Ben Solo, was the only person that Rey even remotely tolerated. Poe said that it was only day one, and that she should wait a little bit more before making snap judgments about anyone. She could tell that he was happy about being right though. She had received an unwanted kiss on the hand from almost every single noble that she had encountered except for Ben Solo.

Ben had been one of the only ones who had really engaged her in useful conversation over dinner either. It wasn’t about dresses or things like that but her politics and where she aligned herself, he also let her talk about battle strategy. He asked her about her dragons but she said that she didn’t like to discuss that at length in public. He appreciated her request and stopped badgering her about it.

It was on the third day there was to be a ball, Rey couldn’t wait to fast forward to that, because as she got up and did her morning routine she was caught in the hallway by two different suitors that wanted to talk to her. She did everything in her power to not immediately blow them off and make an enemy, but she was really, really disinterested in them as well.

Ben Solo only approached her a little bit after lunch as she was in one of the many royal gardens, it was one of the only times that Rey had her gloves off, as she enjoyed collecting her own flowers very much. It was a calming thing that she did when she was away from everything else. “Ah,” Rey said when she saw him, “Ben Solo.” She didn’t address him by his rank, despite the fact that it was as high as hers. She didn’t do that with any of the royals.

She was to maintain dominance here. “To what do I owe the pleasure,”

“I was just taking a stroll,” Ben told her, “your palace is very beautiful. I believe I still haven’t seen everything, and I’ve been walking for about an hour,”

“I’m glad that everything is to your liking,” She said rather disinterestedly, she was snipping the dead ends of some of her roses and letting them fall to the ground. “I expanded the palace after the battle that killed the rest of my house,”

Ben was listening to her intently, and it was rather odd, just the way he looked at her. Like she was his equal. That was good. She appreciated that. “It’s an admirable feat, and I’m sorry for the loss of the rest of your house.”

“I’m not,” Rey said rather coolly. It was a lie, of course. “My grandfather was a cruel person that didn’t deserve the power that he had. I can’t say that I’m much better in terms of cruelty, but—I know that I actually care about my people, which is something that he could never even claim.”

“Well then,” Ben said, “I’m glad that you came to power. You have done a spectacular job with your country,” Rey snipped another dead bud and watched as it fell to the ground.

“I know,” She said, “but of course, there are things that are left to be desired. As I assume that there are things that are left to be desired with your kingdom as well.”

“Yes,” Ben said, “there is definitely things that are left to be desired there.”

“Such as,”

“I think you already know,”

“Oh,”

“Military protection,”

“Ah,” Rey said, “I could give you all of that,”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Rey said, “I have more armies than I know what to do with really, sending some troops your way wouldn’t be a problem in the slightest.”

“Interesting, and I assume that you would want something in return.”

“Of course,” Rey said.

“And what would that be?”

“If I told you what that would be that would be admitting weakness,”

“While I can agree with you there, it is also important for an alliance to have trust between each party. Is it not?” Rey glanced at him up and down for a minute and continued trimming her flowers.

“And why, do tell, should I trust you?”

“I’m a man of my word,” Ben said, “and a terrible liar,”

“Really?” Rey said, “most politicians that I know lie through their teeth. It’s a wonder you survived,”

“I like to think of myself as a King and not a politician.”

“Every ruler needs to be both in order to survive, although I admit that I am not a very good liar myself. It’s very hard to fake when I don’t like a person.”

“No offense, but I can tell.” Rey pursed her lips together, suppressing a chuckle.

“Oh, is it that obvious?” She was feeling in a charitable mood and wasn’t offended by this, as she might’ve been if it were any other day.

“I don’t think it’s that obvious, I think I just so happen to be more perceptive than most of the guests that you keep.”

“You have quite the sense of humor,” Rey said.

“So I’ve been told,”

“I can’t quite tell if I like it or I’m in a charitable mood,” She admitted, she put her shears in her basket and moved on, Ben followed her, but Rey noticed that he always kept enough space between her and him, and enough room for her to be able to leave if she got uncomfortable. “I will admit though at the risk of inflating your ego that you are by far the most tolerable of my suitors,”

“Well, that is quite a compliment.”

“Don’t think about it too much,” Rey told him. “Tolerating you and liking you are two very different things. I haven’t known you long enough to decide if I like you yet, but I do wish to commend you on the way that you have conducted yourself. It’s pretty clear that you’re doing very well considering everything going on, you have also made some allies of other nations, so considering your diplomatic technique, you also would be a very valuable asset to me and my people.”

“I would be happy to be of use to your people as long as our people become one and are protected,”

“Of course,” Rey said, “do you think there would be much opposition within your country to me acquiring your land? Nothing more would change except a merger in the national banks and a spread of wealth, you could keep your name, your heritage, and your history, but of course, I would own and we would rule both lands with a duke in your place.”

“There wouldn’t be any opposition,” Ben said, “my people respect me and want more than anything to be safe.”

“Let’s hope that you’re right about that,” Rey sighed, she had heard that before, been forced to forcibly seize land and deal with opposition. It was never a pretty thing.

“Is this your way of asking me if I would be interested in the marriage?”

“This is my way of telling you that right now you are the most desirable of the candidates. I will get back to you about a decision tomorrow. I think that you will find that I am quite a decisive person,”

“An admirable quality,”

“Yes,” Rey said, “now if you don’t mind, I would like to finish gardening in peace.”

“Of course,” He left her alone after that.


	5. chapter four - a decision has been made

Rey had never been one for pleasantries and celebration. She had never seen the need for it as she never seen the need for it as she never viewed herself as very friendly or charismatic. So, when everything was all said and done and it was time to pick a husband, Rey was relieved. She called council not too long after, not looking forward to having to share the room with a bunch of political lackeys that questioned her decision at every turn. They were all sitting a table, Rey at the large oak chair with ornate carvings on it at the head of the table. “Let me guess,” Poe said when he had sat down at the table on the right side of her, “you picked Ben.”

Rey was silent for a minute, raising an eyebrow. “Was it that obvious?”

“I mean, he’s the only one who remotely respected your personal boundaries the entirety of the festival. And I know that you, rightfully, don’t put up with men that don’t have the word ‘no’ in their vocabulary.” He paused. “So, yeah. I guess it was obvious.”

He was right, “Yes, Ben is the right pick.”

“Are you sure about this?” One of the elders asked. Rey gave the elder a pointed look. “I mean, I’m not questioning your leadership I—”

“Poe,” Rey said.

“Hmm?”

“Tell me something,” She sighed and took in a deep breath, “since I have become Queen, how many wars have breeched our shores?”

“None.” Poe answered.

“In fact, tell me, please, how many wars have we been in since I took charge and effectively won the fifteen-year war that we were in?”

“We haven’t been in any wars since you took charge.”

“Right.” Rey said, the smile on her face was almost venomous. It took everything in her not to explode. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with people questioning her today. Not after she had suffered through all of these festivities that made her uncomfortable. “And what of Malaachor’s crime rate?”

“It’s gone down by sixty percent since you became Queen,”

“Oh, really? That’s fascinating. What about slavery?”

“Slavery has been abolished,” She knew that at this point she had made her point, but she liked seeing this man’s face crumple.

“Right,” Rey said, “all under my rule. I am the one who has made the calls that turn out best for this country, so I would have thought by now you would’ve learned not to question my rule.”

“Y-you’re right, your highness. Forgive me.”

“You’re forgiven,” Rey sighed, “just don’t do it again.”

There was some more chatter amongst the elder and junior council, but for the most part, Rey had mentally clocked out of the meeting. When everything was over Poe stayed behind. “Someone’s in a bad mood,” He said.

“When am I not?” Rey rolled her eyes as she got up. “Sometimes I swear you’re the only person on this council that I tolerate.”

“Then perhaps you should get a new council?”

“Ha! And risk assassination? No, thank you.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Poe said.

“I am,”

“You are,” Poe chuckled, “do you need anything else?”

“Set up a meeting between Ben and I and prepare an end of celebration speech,”

“Done,” He said.

“Thank you, Poe. Seriously.”

“It is my pleasure, your majesty.”

**

Ben wasn’t sure if he had done well enough to be considered for Rey’s hand in marriage, and Hux was fine with that. Ben could tell that he was ready to go, it was making him uncomfortable to be in this country, although he didn’t know why. “What sane person keeps fucking dragons?” Hux murmured to himself one day. Ben rolled his eyes as Hux kept pacing. He was used to it by now.

The festivities were coming to an end and Rey was to pick a husband soon. Ben was sure that he had done a good job in at least securing some new allies so he could pull some favors later if need be, that’s all that he expected to happen though. He didn’t expect the Royal Guard to knock on his door during the middle of his pacing. “Stop that,” He said. He rolled his eyes once Hux stopped and opened the door to see the Hand to the Queen there waiting for him along with some knights. “Ah, hello. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“The Queen wishes to have a meeting with you,” The other man said, “alone.”

He wasn’t sure what to think about that. Ben told Hux to get his things ready and then followed the other man and the guards to a separate room in a wing that he hadn’t even noticed before. He just kept thinking that everything here was much bigger than back home, and he just marveled at it the whole time.

“May I ask what the nature of this meeting is?” He asked the other man. He was sure that his name was Poe, but he didn’t want to address him and be wrong.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” The other man told him, “it’s just best that we do not discuss it out in the open.”

“Ah, I see.” He tried to quell the slight knot in his chest as he entered the room that he was directed to. It was a study, quaint and small enough to be for one person, but still quite a substantial amount of scrolls and books stocked the shelves all the way up to the ceiling.

Rey was standing next to the window, dressed in a black dress that looked like it was meant for war. It was clearly a sign that said, ‘ _I could end your life if I chose to, so behave.’_

“My Queen,” Ben knelt and could see Rey’s mouth almost turn up in a smile when he did that.

“As you were,” She said, “I wish to discuss something with you.”

“Something of a good nature, I hope.”

“Right.” Rey said. “Of a good nature.” She stayed where she was, her gaze intense and piercing. She looked like she was analyzing every bit of him, and Ben wondered what she was thinking in that moment. “I wanted to tell you that after consideration, I have deemed that you are the best fit for my country and I wish to arrange a marriage with you, if you so choose.”

That was something that Ben wasn’t expecting. “Wait, really?”

Rey cocked an eyebrow, obviously confused. “Do you not want to get married?”

“No, no. I mean—yes, I do want to get married. I just wasn’t expecting to be the one that you chose. Many kingdoms have better military assets than I and are far richer.”

“I don’t care about any of that,” Rey answered honestly, “your kingdom is wealthy in agriculture and that is of use. You are also in a prime spot for my military to access easily so if I were to send troops your way, it would be easiest to defend.”

“That makes sense,” Ben said.

“So, just to make sure that we’re on the same page, you do actually want to continue forward with this arranged marriage?”

“Yes,” Ben said without hesitation, this time, “I do.”

“Good.” She said. “There are some things that I want you to know, before we go forward with anything and if at any time I say something that you can’t get behind you can be free to back out.” Ben nodded, not sure what she was going to say. “I want to make it clear, that even after you are crowned King I am still going to be in charge. I will be the one making the decisions, and I will not step to the side for you in any matter whatsoever. I’m good at what I do and I am not going to give it up for anything.”

“Of course,” Ben said.

“Good. Also, I will spend a fair amount of time with my dragons and serpents. Do not follow me into any of their habitats without my express permission. I do not want anyone harming them and if I find out that you or anyone from your kingdom does so, this deal will be off and there will be punishment.” Ben nodded again. So far, none of this stuff sounded unreasonable. Ben did not know Rey very well but from what he could tell of her, she was a very smart woman that was very capable in her field, “I also do not like being touched, do not expect me to consummate the marriage. Even if I were to change my mind on that later, there is a chance that I might not be able to conceive a child due to an injury I had when I was a child.”

“That’s completely okay,”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Ben said, “it is. Besides I am one who believes that family is not blood, but the people you choose.”

“Ah, progressive.” Rey said. “That’s to good to know, so—you have not changed your mind?”

“Not in the slightest,”

“Good.” Rey said. “I’m going to have a contract drawn up to make it official, notify your people and get whatever you need to prepared. Within the next two months our countries will become one,”

Ben had a feeling that he had no idea what kind of whirlwind he was in for.


End file.
